“Women should be respected as well! Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts of the world, so why shouldn't women have their share? Soldiers and war heroes are honored and commemorated, explorers are granted immortal fame, martyrs are revered, but how many people look upon women too as soldiers?...Women, who struggle and suffer pain to ensure the continuation of the human race, make much tougher and more courageous soldiers than all those big-mouthed freedom-fighting heroes put together!”
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne's claim that women deserve respect and recognition as soldiers who serve the cause of perpetuating humankind is a powerful reclamation of the language of warfare; while men are engaged in killing, women's labor focuses on the preservation and continuation of life. Although Anne's statement above focuses on women's ability to perpetuate life in the literal sense--an opportunity taken away from Anne by the Nazis--her insistence that, "in spite of everything," "people are really good at heart,"makes Anne a soldier of humanity. In the context of the persecution of Anne's family and other Jewish families during World War II, Anne's faith in the human potential for goodness is life-giving. Today, we celebrate Anne Frank's unforgettable contribution: her courage to hope.
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